In a surprising move, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), dealt another blow to Elon Musk with the launch of Threads, a companion service to Instagram that aims to challenge Twitter. With a similar format to Twitter, Threads allows users to post short text messages that can be liked, reposted, and replied to.
However, it lacks direct messaging capabilities. The app allows posts of up to 500 characters and supports links, photos, and videos up to five minutes long.
Threads quickly gained traction, with 2 million sign-ups within its first two hours. Its integration with Instagram, which boasts over 2 billion monthly active users, positions it as an attractive addition to existing Instagram habits. Analysts speculate that Threads’ ties to Instagram could provide a built-in user base and advertising apparatus, potentially diverting ad revenue from Twitter.
The launch of Threads comes at a critical time for Twitter, which has faced turmoil due to Musk’s chaotic decision-making, leading to a decline in value, advertiser exodus, and content moderation controversies. Meta stock rose 3% on the day of the launch, outperforming competitors in the tech market.
The rivalry between Zuckerberg and Musk has been brewing for months, with both trading barbs and even threatening a real-life mixed martial arts match. Threads’ launch appears to be another strategic move by Zuckerberg to capitalize on Twitter’s troubles.
While Meta has had failures with standalone copycat apps in the past, the integration of features like Reels directly into Instagram has been more successful. Threads, however, faces challenges due to the differences in culture and content between Twitter and Instagram. Twitter’s news-oriented atmosphere contrasts with Instagram’s visual platform focused on lighter content. Nonetheless, Meta aims to attract a quarter of Instagram’s user base to rival Twitter in size.
Zuckerberg addressed the challenges faced by Twitter in his Threads posts, emphasizing the need for a public conversation app with a billion-plus users. Meta’s launch of Threads suggests a potential “Twitter-Killer” and has investors optimistic about its prospects. However, it remains to be seen how the rivalry between Zuckerberg and Musk will play out in the social media landscape.
